Boiler-tube cleaner



H. L. NEEDHAM.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 19|?.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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H. L. NEEDHAM.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPUcATloN FILED MAY 28. |917.

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I'IOUGHTON L. NEEDHAM, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOILER-TUBE CLEAN'ER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed May 28, 1917. Serial No. 171,444.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, HoUGii'ioN Ii. Nuno- HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBoiler-Tube Cleaners, of which thc following is a specification.

The general object of this invention is to produce a boiler tube cleanerof simplicd and improved construction, and a special aim is to provide adevice which embodies` a minimum number of parts so constructed andarranged as to afford the maximum degree of strength and durability andbe capable of being cheaply manufactured, and in which the parts subjectto the greatest wear may be quickly and easily replaced, so that thedevice may be operated and rcpaired by an inexperienced workman.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational viewillustrating a boiler tube cleaner embodying my invention in place in atube. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central Section through the entire devicetaken in the plane of line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are transversesections through the cleaner taken in the planes of lines Smil and L -4,respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionthrough the rear eiid of the cleaner taken in a plane approximatelyperpendicular to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an end elevation looking atthe right-hand end of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. l, A indicates a boiler tube through which the cleaneris adapted to be inserted for the purpose of cleaning the scale from thetube. The cleaner' com prises a motor section and a reamer or toolsection. It is to the former that the present invention relates.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, themotor comprises a cylindrical tubular casing 10, the ends of which areclosed by a rear head 11 and a front head 12, respectively, said headsbeing located externally to the casing. The main portion of each of saidheads is of considerably smaller diameter than the casing 10 and at theinner end face of each head is formed an annular radial flange 13 whichabuts against the end of the casing. At the inner end face of the headis a circular projection 13a which fits snugly within the end of thecasing 10.

Each head is arranged to be tightly clamped to the casing by an annularcollar 14 having an inwardly-extending radial flange which lits aboutthe head and is arranged to engage the Shoulder pr'ovidedby the flange13. The exterior of the casing 10 at the ends thereof and the interiorsof the collar 14 are screw-threaded so that when the collars are turne'dup o'n the threads the heads will be securely held iii place.

.Means is provided to insure the association of the heads with thecasina` 10 in correct position to aline 7the eccenti'ic bearings in saidheads and to prevent relative rotation between the heads and the casing.Said means is of an interlocking character and in the present instancecomprises pins 15 fixed in and projecting from the ends of the casing 10and adapted to fit into corresponding openings yin the flanges 13 of theheads. 4 j

The casing and heads constitute the stator of the motor. The rotor is inthe form of a cylindrical body 16 having a plurality of radial slots 17(in this instance three) extending from end to end tl'i'eieof parallelwith the axis of said body. In each of said slots a blade or vane 18fits loosely, said blades being of such length as to extend theI fulldistance between the inner faces of the heads 11 ,and 12. Preferably thebottoms of the slots 17 and the inner edges of the blades 18 aresomewhat rounded or inclined at their end portions so that the rotorjoui"- nals will not be weakened by said slots. The rotor is eccentricto the casing 10 'and in the rotation of the rotor lthe blades 18 arethrown outwardly into contact with the inner face of the casing 10 andthe blades move in and out on account of the eccentric relation of therotor and casing.

On the rear end of the rotor is a stub journal 19 concentric with therotor which is mounted in a socket or bearing 20 in the inner part ofthe rear head 11, said socket or bearing being eccentric to the head. lAjournal or shaft 21 projects concentrieally from the forward end of therotor 16 and passes through the head 12, being mounted in an eccentricbearing 22 in said head.

On the forward end of the shaft 21 is mounted the cleaning tool. Thetool and mounting means may be of any common or preferred construction.In the present exemplary form the tool 23 is rotatably mounted on a bolt24 which is threaded in a knuckle 25. Said knuckle is joined by a nur 2eto a knuckle 27 which is threaded upon and rigidly fixed to the forwardend of the shaft 21. The pivot pins 28 and 29 connecting the link 26 tothe two knuckles are at right angles to each other,.so that a universalconnection between the tool 23 and the. shaft 21 is provided.- Due tothe eccentric mounting and rapid rotation'of the shaft 21, the tool 23will be caused to deliver sharp blows in quick succession to the tube Aso as breakup and remove thescale therefrom.

The outer endiof the rear head `11 has a chamber or cavity therein whichis interiorly threaded to receive a coupling ele-V f ment 31 forsecuring to the head a flexibleV hoseV 32 by which compressed air orother motive iiuid is conveyed to the motor. 'I he cavity 30communicates with the interior of the casing 10 through one or moreinlet ports 33. (Figs. 4 and 5), four being shown in thepresent.instancev Said ports extend at an angle'Y to the axis of thehead and deliver the Amotivev Vfhiid to the space between the exteriorof the rotor 16 and interior of the casing '10. n The motive fluidacting on the blades 18 will cause rapid rotation of the rotor and atthe proper time the motive fluid escapes from4 the casing Vthroughexhaust ports 34; (Figs. 1 and The chamber 3() acts as an equalizing anddistributing chamber from which the inlet ports 33 are supplied. `Asthebladcs 18 pass the ports 33 the rotorwill receive successive impulsesyfrom the incoming air'jets.

:fIt' will be noted that the heads 11 and y12 project beyond the caps1li and are of longr dimension in an axial direction. A long bearing isVthus provided for the shaft'21 of the rotor', which shaft and bearingreceive most l,of the shock caused by the impacts of thecleaning tool23. The great axial length Vof the rearV headY 11 allows the employmentBy reason of the fact that the motor embodies so few parts, is durablyconstructed, and may be readily repaired, it is possible to employ acheap class of labor to operate a cleaner of this type. Furthermore, thesimplicity and the paucity of parts conduce to extreme cheapness inmanufacture.

I/Vhile I have herein described in detail the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it should be understood that I do not thereby intend to limitmyself to the exact form disclosed, but aim to cover in the appendedclaims all modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of theinvention.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. A boiler tube cleaner having, in combination, a casing havingconcentric inner and outer peripheral walls, heads closing Y theopposite ends of the casing and having annular externalV flangesabutting against the 'extreme ends of the casing, collars threaded uponthe ends of the casing on the outer periphery thereof Vand havinginwardly extending flanges which surround the heads and engage with theflanges thereon to clamp the heads to the casing, and a Vrotor in thecasing having journals at its opposite ends mountedL Vin said headseccentricallythereof and also ofthe outer pe-V riphery of the casing;there being a motiveV fluid inlet port in one of the heads andan outletport in the casing, said rotor having blades adapted to pass said portssuccessively in the movements of the rotor, and one of said journalsbeing extended and having'a tool mounted on its extended end.

'2. A boiler tube cleaner having a motor casing adapted to be enteredinto a tube, 'a rotor eccentrically mounted in said casing and having aprojecting journal eccentric to the casing and consequently eccentric tothe tube, and a tool having a fiexible connection to the j ournal.

3. A boiler tube cleaner comprising aV cylindrical motor casing adaptedto be cntered into a tube,`a shaft projecting from the end of the casingand eccentric to the axis thereof, vmeans in the casing to rotatetheshaft, and a tool iiexibly connected to the outer end of the shaft. f

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set Y my hand. y

HOUGHTON L. NEEDI-IAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

